Manchester United have agreed a deal to sign Kim Min-jae with details of his move revealed, Real Madrid are to raid Chelsea for one of their costliest-ever signings, while Monday’s Transfer Gossip claims Tottenham are closing on a new £35m goalkeeper.
KIM-MIN JAE MOVE TO MAN UTD FULLY AGREED
Manchester United are on the brink of finalising their first signing of the summer after agreeing to meet the €60m (£51.6m) clause in Kim Min-jae’s contract.
The South Korean has enjoyed an excellent season with Napoli, who have won the Serie A title. Stepping into the shoes of Kalidou Koulibaly, the 26-year-old has proved himself one of the Italian league’s elite defenders.
As a result, Erik ten Hag has made Kim one of his priority signings for United this summer.
And il Corriere dello Sport (04/06/2023, page 3) claim a deal to bring him to Old Trafford is ‘done’.
United have informed Napoli they will meet the full-buy out in his deal, which becomes active for 15 days from July 1.
In the meantime, United are putting in the groundwork for the deal by holding a series of talks with the player. And the word from Italy is that Kim himself is ready to make the move, having informed Napoli of his wish to move on.
United will hold a fresh round of talks with Kim and his agents this week. That will see him undergo a medical and the documention signed and sealed. But for stipulations around his release clause, the deal will likely not be made official until July 1.
Kim has reportedly agreed a four-year deal worth £150,000 a week, keeping him at Old Trafford until summer 2027. United will also hold an option to extend the contract by a further 12 months.
Man Utd getting an excellent player in Kim Min-jae
Kim will come to Old Trafford looking to heap the pressure on Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez as United’s first two centre-halves.
Martinez ended the season injured, with Victor Lindelof partnering Varane in the closing weeks of the season. And the Swede has done enough to suggest he is worthy of keeping with some solid displays.
However, United will now look to actively move on Harry Maguire as a result of Kim’s capture.
The United club captain will slip to fifth in the pecking order upon Kim’s arrival. That clearly makes his position, particularly as a £80m signing, wholly untenable.
Quite where he will end up remains to be seen, though Manchester United could use him as a pawn in a bid to finalise the Mason Mount signing from Chelsea.
Tottenham are also reportedly keen, though United will likely only obtain a fee of around £30m – a loss of some £50m.
In Kim, United will be signing a central defender of genuine quality, however. He completed an average of 73 passes per game, with an accuracy of 91 per cent.
His real strengths though lie in blocking opponents going past him. Indeed, he wins an average of 1.6 tackles, makes 3.5 clearances and wins 4.6 duels per game.
Furthermore, he also wins 63 per cent of his aerial duels, giving him the perfect physique for the Premier League.
READ MORE ~Man Utd transfers: Ten Hag in dreamland as first summer signing reaches ‘full agreement’ on £150,000 a week deal
KAI HAVERTZ TO JOIN REAL MADRID IN MEGA DEAL
Kai Havertz is on the brink of moving to Real Madrid in what has been described as a ‘mega deal’ in the German media.
The forward moved to Stamford Bridge in summer 2020 from Bayer Leverkusen, costing a deal which ultimately topped £71m.
His time at Chelsea has been mixed, with Havertz – more a second striker or a No 10 – scoring just 32 times in 139 appearances.
However, he will forever remain a club legend after scoring the winning goal in the 2021 Champions League final. Incredibly, it was the 23-year-old’s first-ever goal in the Champions League.
His time though in London appears to be coming to an end after three seasons. And with Christopher Nkunku arriving in a big-money deal from RB Leipzig, Havertz has been cleared to move on.
And with Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti identifying him as a prime target, it seems an agreement has been very quickly reached.
Los Blancos on Sunday gave Karim Benzema the bumps following the conclusion of their LaLiga campaign. Conrfirming his departure alongside Marco Asensio and Eden Hazard, Benzema is to join Saudi Arabian sideAl-Ittihad.
Real are chasing a big-name striker as his replacement, with Harry Kane reportedly their top target.
However, they have moved to plug the gap, of sorts, by striking a deal for Havertz.
Per Bild, Real Madrid are close to agreeing a mega deal for Havertz. And while it does not mention the fee, Chelsea are reportedly demanding similar to the €80m arrangement they paid Leverkusen three years ago.
READ MORE:Mason Mount breaks silence on Man Utd move with Chelsea destined to lose homegrown talent
TOTTENHAM MAKE DAVID RAYA THEIR NO 1 TARGET
Tottenham are ready to make a firm move for Brentford goalkeeper David Raya as they look to replace Hugo Lloris.
The long-serving Frenchman has confirmed his plans to leave this summer after 11 seasons in north London.
In that time, the World Cup winner has made 447 appearances for the club. But his star badly faded in the most recent campaign with a series of high-profile mistakes creeping into his game.
He now looks set to leave with a mega-money offer to move to Saudi Arabia on the table.
As for Tottenham, they have been considering a number of possible replacements. They range from Jordan Pickford, Illan Meslier, Mike Maignan, Robert Sanchez and Andre Onana.
However, it is believed that incoming new manager Ange Postecoglou has picked Brentford’s David Raya.
And a path to the Spaniard appears easy with the Bees willing to sell their No 1 this summer.
His deal at their London rivals is due to expire in summer 2024 and Raya has made clear his intentions to reject an extension.
As a result, the Bees confirmed he would allowed to move on this summer.
Now the Daily Mirror claim a move to Spurs is on the cards. Brentford hope to fetch as much as £40m for the 27-year-old, though Tottenham’s opening gambit is likely to be nearer £30m.
However, a compromise deal reaching £35m will likely be struck.
READ MORE ~ New Tottenham manager: Ange Postecoglou to bring Celtic trio with him as boss sends thanks to Scottish giants
